Vega7 the Ronin’s 5th LP “The Ghost Orchid” Prod. by Machacha Shows Growth Since “The Lead Line Wall” (Album Review)

Here we have the 5th studio LP from Queens, New York emcee Vega7 the Ronin. Emerging after enlisting Danish beatsmith Machacha to produce his debut EP The Lead Line Wall, he would go on to land feature placement on the 5th & final installment of Ty Farris’ historic No Cosign Just Cocaine mixtape series & tap in with Superior for his debut Sleep is the Cousin. I equally enjoyed the Body Bag Ben-produced Kawasaki Killers, reuniting with Machacha for The Ghost Orchid after a mixtape along with an EP & the previous album album Griotes of the 3rd Rail.

After the “Floating Secret” intro, the first song “Quoth the Raven” references 14-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE United States Champion Randy Orton who’ll be facing former WWE Universal Champion, NXT Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion & 2-time WWE tag team champion Kevin Owens at WrestleMania XLI this upcoming Easter weekend whereas the sample-driven “Toast the Spiritz” talks about hearing a ghost in his liver staying nice & stylized in the Karl Kanis with the gats.

“Paper Presidents” works in a guitar driven boom bap beat making it clear he only cares about family & the paper incorporating a bar referring to BJW認定デスマッチヘビー級王座 & WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah the Butcher prior to bilingual “K.R.E.A.M.” featuring Trepac spits beat in both the English & Danish languages. “Ritual”, talks about being legitimate if he ever calls you his brother just before “Barefoot Contessa” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As for “Stained Glass Ghost”, we have Vega7 giving a middle finger to the pressure since he can bench & lift the weight up as if he’s a fitness trainer calling himself the demon in the church while “Hokage Mountain” featuring André DeSaint, Jamil Honesty & Shottie brings the quartet together over a rap rock instrumental to restore the feeling. “A Flower for Farewell” symphonically flexes his lyrics being a relic of the past while “The World’s Borough” featuring Book$ & Paddy Duke ahead of the “Anden Del” outro represents their stomping grounds Queens to the fullest.

3 years have already passed since The Lead Line Wall properly introduced the underground world to one of the best songwriters in the game today Vega7 the Ronin emerged with Denmark’s finest producer currently & they get back a week after the anniversary to see the growth in their chemistry since they last got together for a whole body of work. Machacha’s production stays prominently grounded in the traditional boom bap sound & Vega7’s lyricism blends elements of both hardcore & abstract hip hop.

Score: 8/10